Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Warm bread and hearty soup.

Laura mentions making vegetable soup and fresh bread. It's cool in the evenings now, and the trees are just starting to turn, which means we also change our diet. I love the smell of a crockpot full of soup, and fresh baked bread. My mother always made wonderful soups, and I have a few up my sleeve that are long-time favorites.

My husband's mother didn't make soup . . . well, she opened canned soups . . . so, he had never accepted that a soup could be a meal. The first winter we were in our home (and we've been there 29 years now), there was a blizzard a couple days before Christmas. I had planned to do my grocery shopping for Christmas dinner the morning of Christmas eve. The roads were so bad, that even "townies" were being instructed to stay home by the police. So, I announced to my DH and sons that we would have Christmas dinner prepared from stocks in the freezer and canned goods. My husband voted for spaghetti, and my two sons wanted to have tacos. I said no to both. The menu actually included baked steak, green beans, fresh rolls, and was pretty tasty, even though it wasn't the turkey and trimmings that I envisioned.

The evening of Christmas Eve, the wind was howling, and snow was blowing, and I thought a pot of chili was so appealing. I browned some burger, and went to the pantry to get the rest of my ingredients. Big problem . . . no chili beans. So, I stood looking at the supplies, trying to figure out what I would make. With thoughts of my mother in my mind, I grabbed potatoes, carrots, a can of stewed tomatoes, some smoked sausage, oregano, water, and stirred all in with the browned beef. DH came into the kitchen, and looked in the pot. He asked, "what is that, and why aren't we having chili?"

I responded that this was heartier than mere chili, and that it is a "burgoo". Of course, he asked, "What's a burgoo?"

"A burgoo is a stew that has two kinds of meat . . . this has beef and smoked sausage."

He was skeptical, and asked, "how do we eat it." I said just like chili. He "harumphed" and went back to the living room. A short time later when I served the meal, he came to the table equipped with his pout. He put a small quantity of the burgoo in his bowl, and tasted it. Three bowls later, he was full!

4 comments:

Angie said...

It's only 56 deg. here right now (2:30 p.m.) Could you send me a bowl of your soup, please??? LOL Guess I'm going to have to make a pot...everyone is talking about soup and bread...and I can't have potatoes OR bread for another week and a half (groans). :( My step-children grew up in W. Lafayette. Small world, yes?

Paula, the quilter said...

I love homemade soup and have finally gotten CarGuy to like them too! My soups are accompanied by cornbread. Don't you just love it when the DH admits that maybe you can cook? I made beef stew and cornbread in the crockpot on Sunday. My niece and her DH were up from Denvertown. He is 6'7" and I swear is still growing! After everyone had their fill he emptyied the crockpot and polished off the cornbread. I have forgotten what it is like to have no leftovers. /paula

Quilts And Pieces said...

It is cold and grey here and some soup and fresh bread would be heaven! But I think we are having spaghetti tonight! :)

I can't make a good soup for anything!

Sweet P said...

I usually make chili or beef stew in the crock pot on the weekends in the winter time. I also love butternut squash soup.

I love your Chirstmas soup. Do you still make it at your house?